Viral TikTok Starts Debate Over Topic Of Whether Teens Should Work Or Not

When TikTok creator Esther Boyd of Gold Coast, Australia shared her thoughts about her 15-year-old son getting a job, many took to the comment section to debate the subject. While many agreed with her view, just as many, if not more, commented on why they don't see eye-to-eye with her on this topic.

"I have a 15-year-old son and he's at that age where like everyone's getting jobs. And I was like, I don't want you to get a job. And he was like, all my friends are getting jobs. I wanna get a job," she started her video. "I was like, watch your friends' lives, like watch and see what happens. And I'm like bro, you do that your entire f***ing life, why start now?"

She continued to explain that if he wants to get work experience, finding something that he really wants to do, even if it's unpaid, so he can learn is the way to go.

"I can fund your existence. We are middle class. He's not getting literally everything handed to him on a platter, but I just think it's insane to tell a small child who's like 14 that they should go out in the world and get a job for experience, as if they're not gonna experience that their whole f***ing life."

One viewer shared, "Unpopular opinion but my parents did this and I’ve grateful they let me be a kid. Also never had an issue landing a job in adulthood." Another added, "I say the same to my kids. if you want money, go help your uncle with his job. cut grass. but go be a kid. once you start working, it never stops."

And then there was the other side of the debate.

"Yeah, I disagree with you. I started working when I was really young and I look back and I think to myself it was the best thing I could’ve done," one viewer wrote. Another said, "While I understand what you’re saying, jobs actually build confidence, independence, and transferable skills. Plus, great time to teach how to invest!"

Because of the amount of feedback and attention the first video received, Boyd shared a part 2 to explain her reasoning a little further.

"The thing that's important to me with this is I don't agree with the way that the current world works, so I don't want to raise my kid in a way where he's reliant on the way that the world works to survive," she said. "Yes, he will need an income and yes he will need to get a job, or maybe he'll start a business or whatever it is that he wants to do. I just think there are more important things in the world than working, and I don't think we should identify ourselves so much with our work and with our jobs and everything."

She continued to explain that her goal is more about helping him to prioritize his creativity and connection to community.

"It is really important to remember that your view on the situation is based on your lens of the world, on your personal experience, on your emotional intelligence, on the actions that you took and the things that happened to you, how you view what's happened to you in your life," she said. "Just keep in mind, if you had a really bad experience, that's not for everyone."

Viewers once again took to the comment section to share their thoughts.

"It sounds like your telling him what to do then saying for him to choose. If he wants one then that’s up to him. Success or failure are all lessons," one person wrote.

Another said, "I 100% agree with you. I also think we need to distinguish more in our society the difference between a job/career and a vocation."

Boyd shared her views without the thought that it would get so many feathers ruffled. She never considered her parenting style to be controversial.

"I had absolutely no idea this was going to blow up because I had no idea my parenting style was controversial. It’s so normal to me," she told The Blast exclusively. "I kept bursting into laughter, disbelief when it really started to gain traction. Noah (my son) and I have been talking about this kind of thing lately, and while I was talking to him and consciously parenting, I simultaneously could see the situation from a bird's eye perspective and thought. I wish the world saw the potential in trying to do things a little differently."

When asked how Noah feels about not getting a job right now, Boyd said he truly understands her point of view.

"He initially had a mild groan and wanted to discuss it with me, of course, because his friends were making money and getting jobs. But I reminded him that he’s absolutely welcome to go get work experience in something that he is really interested in learning," she said.

"And as a kid with many interests and hobbies, he was happy with that and doesn’t feel restricted. He knows that I was working from a very young age and that I personally don’t recommend it so I have been raising him to have the type of skills I gained through avenues other than hard work from a young age."

Did the negative comments affect Boyd? Not at all!

"Surprisingly I’m unaffected by the comments. Some of them kindly disagree and some of them harshly disagree but I am very sure of myself as a person and I trust myself more than I trust anyone, so I don’t see the point in dwelling on what others think about me and my choices," she told The Blast.

"I can see many sides of the situation and hold space for all of them and I’ve decided this is the best course of action toward raising my son for a new and healthier world. I also see the comment section as a way to gain understanding on where people are at with their view on life, on their emotional intelligence and on their ability to think outside their own experiences. The nay-sayers are loud, but the people who this resonates with will see it and that’s all that matters to me."

Boyd would like people to remember that she's not in the same debate as the commentors who said she's ruining his chances at getting a job when he's older and gaining life skills.

"I’m walking away from that mentality because it won’t be relevant much longer. I’m in a whole other arena, working toward bringing in a new way of being, a new world. Soon enough we will have Gen Zer’s running the country and we already know how very in touch with their emotions, their mental health, life-balance and their creativity they are," she explained.

"These kids are going to create the beginning of an entirely different human experience and I’m preparing my son for that way of life. It’s not to discredit our current way of living and raising young individuals, it’s gotten us this far. But it’s time to advance now, the times are changing dramatically. There’s no need to hold on to old ways of being, in fear of change. Humans are a very resilient species, we can endure a short period of discomfort through uncertainty with the goal of something better on the horizon, easily."

Boyd also posed the question, "What if we lived in a world that fostered imagination and creativity and finding yourself through trial and error while you're still young and have nothing to lose?"

"What if we adults heal and re-parent ourselves so that we can consciously raise emotionally intelligent, compassionate individuals who prioritize happiness and health over the concept of work and money. We’d have people following their heart, caring for one another, connecting. Probably less war. Definitely less famine," she said. "It’s time to correct course and while I didn’t expect this to happen, I’m glad it has because it’s awoken a mission inside me to make the world a better place."

To learn more, visit Boyd's website. She also has a podcast, "Vision and Alchemy" on all the major podcast platforms.